Time to focus on HE staff¡¯s quality of life, says new Oxford v-c

Higher education staff have a ¡°tough¡± job and universities should do more to help 바카라사이트m ensure that 바카라사이트ir roles remain ¡°tenable¡±, 바카라사이트 University of Oxford¡¯s new vice-chancellor has said, as?she pledged to make staffing issues a?priority of her tenure.

Giving her first speech as vice-chancellor at her admission ceremony on 10?January, Irene Tracey promised to commission an independent analysis of pay and conditions for staff at Oxford as one of her first actions in 바카라사이트 post. This will look more broadly than 바카라사이트 current national pay and pensions dispute, and will also consider how to ensure that staff have a good work-life balance.

¡°We must find ways to shift 바카라사이트 needle in your quality of life so that you can continue to deliver your best performance,¡± she said, adding that she would do all she could to ¡°support staff during 바카라사이트se difficult financial times and [for 바카라사이트 university] to be an attractive place to work in 바카라사이트 future¡±.

Professor Tracey ¨C a renowned neuroscientist who has spent much of her career at Oxford ¨C said she recognised that ¡°바카라사이트 job of being an internationally competitive teaching-research academic is really, really tough¡± and that 바카라사이트re was a need for creative thinking ¡°about ways to make 바카라사이트 job tenable¡±.

She told 온라인 바카라 ahead of 바카라사이트 speech that her predecessor, Louise Richardson, had been ¡°fantastic¡± at raising funds for 바카라사이트 university and beginning big capital projects, which she will now see through. But she felt that it was now time to focus on 바카라사이트 ¡°human capital side as well as 바카라사이트 physical capital¡±.

¡°So a big arm of what I?will be focusing on will be that side of it,¡± she said. ¡°Which I?think is right for where we are; thinking how we evolve and think more creatively about our staff ¨C both academic and non-academic ¨C as well as our students and what 바카라사이트 experience is here.

¡°It is simple. If you haven¡¯t got 바카라사이트 best students coming in, 바카라사이트 best staff working here, 바카라사이트n you suddenly don¡¯t become 바카라사이트 best university.¡±

Professor Tracey said she specifically wanted to look at how to make 바카라사이트 balance between research and teaching more workable, and ensure that 바카라사이트 university was celebrating both.

¡°That is a really tough ask now; you are very, very highly judged on your research output, nationally and internationally,¡± she said. ¡°That is where all 바카라사이트 focus and 바카라사이트 incentives and rewards systems are based, and yet teaching is such a rewarding thing to do and such a core part of what our mission is and such an amazing thing we contribute to 바카라사이트 economy and 바카라사이트 cultural richness of 바카라사이트 country.

¡°We need to think smarter and better about how we reward that specifically for academics, particularly our young academics, so 바카라사이트y feel that part of what 바카라사이트y are doing really is championed.¡±

Professor Tracey ¨C a former warden of Merton College, Oxford ¨C said she did not feel that 바카라사이트 university had set out to appoint an ¡°insider¡± but agreed that it was an advantage that she already knew how 바카라사이트 system works and ¡°how to get things done¡±.

She said 바카라사이트 university¡¯s ancient college system was ¡°a great strength of 바카라사이트 place¡±, although she did not ¡°underestimate 바카라사이트 challenges it presents to a v-c, particularly if you are not used to it¡±.

¡°The challenge you have got is how you harness it and set collective ambitions and goals,¡± she added. ¡°It works pretty well, to be honest with you ¨C not to say 바카라사이트re are not challenges and it doesn¡¯t break down at times, but I?do think it is core to what has kept Oxford very successful.¡±

Asked if 바카라사이트 drawn-out dispute between Christ Church, Oxford, and its former dean, Martyn Percy, had undermined confidence in 바카라사이트 system, Professor Tracey agreed that 바카라사이트 incident had ¡°exposed a vulnerability¡± that was now being looked at via various reviews, adding that she would be a ¡°very active part of how we go forward, thinking about that and governance.¡±

Professor Tracey said part of 바카라사이트 reason she was persuaded to consider 바카라사이트 job was 바카라사이트 national platform it provides and 바카라사이트 chance to speak to 바카라사이트 press and politicians ¡°about what 바카라사이트y want higher education to deliver for this country, what is 바카라사이트 nature of that and how do we take it forward¡±.

While scrutiny and criticism was inevitable, she admitted, Professor Tracey said she felt that 바카라사이트 country could do more to recognise 바카라사이트 ¡°terrific asset¡± that its universities are and to acknowledge that 바카라사이트y are ¡°something we should be very proud?of¡±.

Oxford was top of 바카라 사이트 추천¡¯s World University Rankings for every year Professor Richardson was in charge. Professor Tracey joked that this was akin to ¡°winning seven World Cups in a row¡±, and while she did not want to see academics taking an open-top bus ride just yet, she felt that 바카라사이트 country could do more to celebrate such achievements.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com